Otsego County, Michigan property tax
The median homeowner in Otsego County, Michigan pays $1,751 a year in property tax on a home worth $196,500, an effective rate of 0.89%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Otsego County taxes property at 0.89%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. That makes the $1,751 median bill mostly a statement about local house prices rather than about local tax policy.
It ranks #78 of 82 Michigan counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.28%, and #1,259 nationally. The state runs from 1.86% in Ingham County down to 0.70% in Leelanau County.
The median home costs 2.92 times the median household income of $67,285, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 78% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 25,352 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Otsego County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.89% | 1.28% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,751 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $196,500 | $217,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $880 | $1,084 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $67,285 | $71,149 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.92× | 3.06× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 15.69% | 18.28% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% | 72.92% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 25,352.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iosco County | 1.06% | $1,304 | $122,900 |
| Manistee County | 1.09% | $1,814 | $166,600 |
| Gladwin County | 1.18% | $1,813 | $153,200 |
| Cheboygan County | 0.93% | $1,625 | $175,200 |
| Dickinson County | 1.47% | $1,917 | $130,300 |
Otsego County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Otsego County, Michigan?
The effective rate is 0.89% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,751 against a median home value of $196,500. That is 0.09 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Otsego County?
Roughly $3,560 a year at the county effective rate of 0.89%.
Is Otsego County expensive compared with the rest of Michigan?
It ranks #78 of 82 Michigan counties by effective property tax rate, and #1259 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.39 points below the Michigan average of 1.28%.
What does housing cost in Otsego County?
The median home is worth $196,500 and median gross rent is $880 a month. Median household income is $67,285, which puts the home at 2.92 times annual income and rent at 15.69% of it.